The Sounds of Love and Grace: Ten Sounds that Will Save the World

By Jimi Calhoun

The book you are holding results from years of research carried out as I traveled the world as a rock musician followed by living abroad as a minister. Did you know that all the music ever created in the West has its origin in just twelve sounds? From rock to bluegrass, to gospel to the intricate arrangements of classical, it all came from only twelve notes. That happened because musicians found an infinite number of tonal combinations to use within the twelve-note scale. What today's social ills have in common with music is that they exist because of a failure on our part to have a similar vision for the Ten Commandments. That vision is one of limitless applications for them. This book approaches the Ten Commandments in the same manner that musicians approach the twelve-note scale--with a desire to create something fresh, building on what has come before. This book uses the "ten sounds" to create a different melody to sing in the areas of racial injustice, disability, gender inequality, and to bring healing to the wounds that linger on in some communities because of unjust activities engaged in by some of our forebearers. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781532658167

Jimi Calhoun

Jimi Calhoun is an author, minister, and musician. He is a pastor at Bridging Austin, A Reconciling Community in Austin, Texas. He is the author of A Story of Rhythm and Grace, (2018), The Art of God (2015), and The Sounds of Love and Grace (2020). He is an internationally known recording artist as a member of Rare Earth, Dr. John, The Buddy Miles Regiment, and Funkadelic. He sits on the boards of three non-profit organizations.

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The Sounds of Love and Grace

ten sounds that will save the world

Jimi Calhoun

THE SOUNDS OF LOVE AND GRACE

Ten Sounds that Will Save the World

Copyright ©

2020

Jimi Calhoun. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

, Eugene, OR

97401

.

Cascade Books

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-5814-3

hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-5815-0

ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-5816-7

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Names: Calhoun, Jimi, author.

Title: The sounds of love and grace : ten sounds that will save the world / Jimi Calhoun.

Description: Eugene, OR: Cascade Books,

2020

| Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers:

isbn 978-1-5326-5814-3 (

paperback

) | isbn 978-1-5326-5815-0 (

hardcover

) | isbn 978-1-5326-5816-7 (

ebook

)

Subjects: LCSH: Ten Commandments. | Christian life. | Race relations.

Classification:

BV4655 .C23 2020 (

print

) | BV4655 (

ebook

)

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

April 1, 2020

Table of Contents

Title Page

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. An Introduction

2. Belonging

3. Perspectives

4. Naming

5. Remembering

6. Sources

7. Respecting

8. Valuing

9. Thieving

10. Narratives

11. Returning

Bibliography

Dedication

In memory of Charles and Mark Hemphill, G. Michael and Samantha Lawrence, Travis Tanner, Riley Webb, Jean Macaluso, Lynn New, William Thomas Murphy, Katie Graham, and Marilyn Bellucci. 

Dedicated to William and Xanthyne Calhoun and Jules and Lorraine Brown.

Preface

Listen Here—Hear, Listen!

T

his is a book

about the Ten Commandments. It is intended to be an application of them and not an explanation of them. The Macmillan Dictionary states that the phrase Listen Here is used when you want someone to pay attention to what you are saying.

¹

The primary ask of this book is that you would consider doing what Jesus asked of his followers centuries ago, Listen carefully to what you hear!

²

The reason this book is needed at this time is amplified by this quote from the great philosopher and poet Henry David Thoreau: If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

³

When it comes to race, disability, immigration, religious intolerance, and political division, there are many in our society that have not kept pace with the shifting landscape of the world around them. This has resulted in increased social segregation, even isolation, for a large number of people. I invite you to hear the beat of that different drummer by re-listening to ten drumbeats from a distant past. The distant past I am referring to dates back to the time when Moses first heard the Ten Words from God on Mount Sinai, thousands of years ago.

How to Read This Book

When I studied for the ministry, students were taught that the teachings of Jesus were best understood when their historical context was taken into consideration. I believe the same holds true about what Moses taught, part of which were the Ten Commandments, or the Ten Words. This book is written with the understanding that Judaism and Christianity were born under the same figurative roof. Although they have each carved out separate and independent rooms, they are closer to being siblings than rivals. I have quoted several scholars and rabbis from the Jewish tradition to help us interpret these Ten Commandments through the world view of the tradition into which they were given. I have capitalized the words Ten and Words when speaking of The Ten Commandments, and Word when speaking of a single Commandment.

I suggest that you read the following chapters as you would enjoy a musical performance. That means you approach the Ten Words to experience them rather than to analyze them. When someone attends a concert, he or she wants to hear and feel the music—that is why a person dances whenever the music touches the soul. Portions of the subject matter I address in this book may be somewhat difficult to hear. For that reason, I encourage you beforehand to listen with an empathic ear and then place yourself at the scene of those stories that may be troublesome.

The Oxford Dictionary says that to listen is to give one’s attention to a sound,

⁴

and the Cambridge Dictionary defines a sound as how something seems to be, from what is said or written.

⁵

Encyclopedia.com defines a sounding as, information or evidence ascertained as a preliminary step before deciding on a course of action.

⁶

I hope this book gives you a fresh sounding on the Ten Commandments, which are the foundation of a good and just social order. The sounds that you will hear on these pages are not political and should not be interpreted as such—they are spiritual, sociological, philosophical, and theological. Please sit back, open your heart, and then enjoy listening to what I call the sounds of love and grace.

1

. Macmilliandictionary.com/, Listen.

2

. Mark

4

:

24

CEV.

3

. Brainyquote.com/, Thoreau.

4

. Lexico.com/, Listen.

5

. Dictionary.cambridge.org/, Sound. Sec.

9

(Seem).

6

. Encyclopedia.com/, s.v., Soundings, line

3

.

Acknowledgments

T

his book exists due

to the encouragement and the unwavering faithfulness of my wife, Julaine Catherine Calhoun.

And as a result of the many family members who have been there throughout the journey. I thank you and love you.

I am grateful for the support of those who have believed in me and have understood that the best instrument for connecting what is divided is a bridge. These include Robert, Kimberly, and Ian Watson-Hemphill, Kenneth and Lorraine Hoffman, Scott Varneau, Kate Gupta, Stanley and Maureen Ermeav, and Rudy and Leanne Greene.

I would like to acknowledge those who have made contributions to this book through their love, encouragement, and support over many years: Mary K. Shanahan, Kathie Lawrence, Ralph and Ruby Moore, Zac and Julie Nazarian, Alan and Mary Kisaka, Paul Louis Metzger, Paul Kraus, Sterling and Janie Spell, Bryan, Blair, and Daniel Anderson, Nicole and Donnie Christenson, Steve Kinney, Mike Adams, Cynthia Caruso, Marvin Jones, Ed and Patti Woolery-Price, Stephen Woolery-Price, the Doyal Family, my small group families, Wade Sullivan and Susan Thomas, Shannon Sedwick, Winston Williams, Brian Joseph, Gavin Lance Garcia, John T. Wright, Ryan Redfern, Terri Lynn Raridon, Debbie Russell, Luis Zapata, Heather Carraher, Rodney Clapp, Savanah Landerholm, and Hannah Harris.

A heartfelt thank you to my musical family, which has not only inspired me but taught me how to listen: Clifford Coulter, Jerry Perez, Ron E. Beck, Leon Patillo, Carol Stallings, Neil Stallings, Dennis Marcellino, Joseph Provost, Lenny Goldsmith, Dennis Kenmore, Eddie Tuduri, Clark Baldwin, Victor and Patricia Behm, Sydney George, Travis Fullerton, Napoleon Brock, Roy Vierra, Arturo Chavez, Renaldo Guzman, Louis Oros, Jimmy McGhee, Johnny Rocker, Connie Jones, Gloria Scott, Bill and Ruth Carter, Gabe Rhodes, John Fannin, Linda Scott, Danny and Debi Brooks and Lynn Daniel, Freddy Staehle, Fred Mandujano, and Wayne Rediker.

I would also like to acknowledge the friends who have helped shape who I am: the Ingram family; Walter Huddleston; Peter and the Shiver family; Francis and the Tanner family; Willie, John, and the Scott family; the Urias family; Richard and the Gonzales family; Albert Lopez; Alfred Hernandez; Joe, Cheryl, and the Gallo family; Gabriel, Vince, and the Strangis family; Jane Macaluso; Edaordo Imperial; Nancy Zerkas; Marie Maes Munley; Dennis and Cleo Barone; Dave and Don Conley; Jim Guido; Mike Goodman; Jim Heckendorn; Joe Spatafore; Brad Gardner; and Jeanne and Elle Adams.

1

An Introduction

What Is Soul?

P

hilosopher Martin Buber said

this about the Ten Commandments: Their task is to call forth man’s response to the Divine, the response of the complete human being, and hence, the unification of the spiritual and the worldly.

¹

Sounds wonderful right? But how? Throughout these pages, I will argue that Mr. Buber’s vision for a holistic understanding of the Commandments is the launchpad for strengthening our moral convictions and the ethical practices they produce, through a process of internal listening. I understand that listening to printed words may not be what immediately comes to mind when the word listen is used—but as a former professional musician, I can assure you that it is possible. Here is why.

Music is fundamentally information in the form of sounds or notes. In order to become proficient at playing an instrument, a musician must develop the means to access the information for use in performance. The majority of rock and funk musicians learn their craft through the process called playing by ear. They listen to musical information, internalize what they have heard, and then use it to produce music. The music they produce is the result of note patterns stored in a type of musical cache through years of listening and practicing. I am suggesting that this process is similar to what we do when we read a book, only we use our sense of sight to access information. When we read a book we visually access information, and then utilize our memories to store the ideas for future use. I am asking that you emulate a rock or funk musician and access the notes written on these pages, then listen to the concepts in this book via the ears of your heart.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said of the Ten Commandments, "The Torah calls them aseret hadevarim, that is, ‘ten utterances.’ Hence the Greek translation, Decalogue, meaning ‘Ten Words.’"

²

An utterance is a verbal sound, and this book assumes that a variety of sounds come at each of us from external sources as well as internal, and that those sounds have an effect on our behavior. For example, the sounds of nationalism, cultural identity, and even our family’s values contribute to the attitudes that shape who we are and the choices we make. In the Talmud Rav Hananel bar Pappa said, "What is the meaning of that which is written? Listen, for I will speak royal things."

³

Notice that what is spoken illumines and interprets what is written. Prior to the printing press knowledge was transferred orally and not visually. The spoken word preceded the written word and people worked hard to improve their listening skill in much the same way that we develop our reading skill today. Listening properly has become a lost art very much in need of being retrieved. Listening is a process through which we can reset our internal ethical and moral default systems and make better decisions. Rabbi Sacks also said, Whether between us and God or us and other people, listening is the prelude to love.

⁴

I will argue in the following pages that people spend a fair amount of time listening to those non-musical sounds just mentioned, in addition to a host of others. There are many scientists who believe that the ear can receive data that the conscious brain has difficulty understanding, and I contend that the same holds true for the ears of our souls. So this chapter is not so much of an introduction as it is an invitation. I am inviting you to listen to the lyrics of the ten sounds of morality and ethics given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and to listen in a completely different way. Many of us limit our listening to what will align with our biases. At that point we become willing listeners to things such as self-help talks, advice from politicians, and even gossip from friends, without ever considering the impact those sounds have on the way we understand the world. Here is the strongest statement I will make in this book: If you think, you have biases.

Listening is a means of accessing and unlocking subconscious biases in ways that simply thinking about something is unable to. I am suggesting that it is in everyone’s best interest to become as discriminating about the words listened to as we are about what foods go into our bodies. This book is written in partial agreement with Greek philosopher Aristotle who wrote, The soul neither exists without a body nor is a body of some sort. For it is not a body, but it belongs to a body, and for this reason is present in a body, and in a body of such-and-such a sort.

⁵

He also said, "The soul is the cause (aition) of life . . . the soul is the cause and principle of the living body."

⁶

The question that may need answering before we enter into our discussion about listening is what is the thing called the soul?

Let us start with an observation about the soul attributed to Charles Darwin by social anthropologist Christopher Boehm in his book Moral Origins. His [Darwin’s] treatment of self-conscious conscience was particularly provocative because now he was bringing his naturalistic approach close to the soul, previously the exclusive purview of the church, or more precisely God. Darwin did not take on the problem of how human beings came to have a soul.

⁷

Rather than scouring scientific or theology books to get ideas about the soul, I decided to use a completely different research tool for a launching pad: Facebook. On Facebook I asked friends to respond to the question, What is Soul? Several friends chimed in. The layout for the remainder of this chapter will consist of an answer from my friends in italics, followed by a brief commentary from me. I use the word commentary to describe my responses because they are designed to contextualize my friends’ answers in relation to what this book is about. Each section will begin with a restating of the question, What is Soul? then a response, and then finally a comment by me. I have used a capital S when referring to Soul as a music form, and the culture that surrounds it. And I have used a lower-case s when referring to the human soul.

Here we go.

What is Soul?

Motown, Mr. James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Four Tops, Temptations, Sam Cooke, Little Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and so many more . . . and that’s the music of my soul.

Soul as music:

I am an author, ethicist, and musician living in Austin, Texas. Austin is a city that is affectionately nicknamed the live music capital of the world. Here is why this is relevant. I am also an ordained minister in the Christian tradition, but I once earned my living by playing bass guitar with internationally known musical groups. One style of music that I played was called Soul Music. Some of the artists I performed with as a bassist include the Four Tops, Lou Rawls, Etta James, and another Motown star named Martha Reeves, of Dancing in the Street fame. I also recorded and toured with a Soul singer named Gene Redding, and while he never achieved national acclaim, his vocal ability certainly warranted it.

Allow me to set the stage for what follows with something found in a song that my band named Gene Redding and Funk recorded. The song contained a type of call and response, with the call